Change to Gmail from Google Mail

Google's email service changed its name to Gmail in the United Kingdom in 2010, and now we’re called Gmail in Germany too! From now on, anybody who signs up for a new Gmail account will get an @gmail.com address instead of @googlemail.com.

If you already use Google Mail and would prefer an @gmail.com address, you have the option to change to the matching @gmail.com username. If you make this address swap, it only affects your address; your account settings, contacts, and existing mail won't change, and any mail sent to your old @googlemail.com address will automatically be redirected to your new address.

If you would like to change your @googlemail.com address to @gmail.com, just click "switch to @gmail.com" in the "Accounts" tab in your Gmail Settings (this link will only show up if you're eligible to change your address). Change your address now.

Nothing changes! Changing your address does not create a new account, it just changes the address for your existing account. All of your existing mail and contacts will be available with your new @gmail.com address.

Yes, the matching @gmail.com address has already been reserved for you. For example, if your current address is hikingfan@googlemail.com, and you choose to change to @gmail.com, it will become hikingfan@gmail.com.

You can only have one Google email address, but mail sent to either address (@gmail.com or @googlemail.com) will be delivered to you. You can also set up a custom 'From' address if you want to send mail as your old @googlemail.com address.

Yes. You will be able to change your address by going to the "Accounts" tab under Gmail Settings and clicking the "Switch to@gmail.com?" link next to "Send mail as:" (this link will only show up if you're eligible to change your address)

No problem. You can change your address back to @googlemail.com by going to the "Accounts" tab under Gmail Settings and clicking the "Switch to@gmail.com?" link under "Send mail as:" (this link will only show up if you're eligible to change your address).

Yes. You will be able to chat with any contacts who use Gmail. If you use Gmail to chat with people who don't have a Google account and are using a 3rd party chat application other than AOL, you might need to re-invite these people to chat after you change your address.

Your friends can manually update your information in their contact list if they want, but email they send to your @googlemail.com address will automatically be delivered to your new address. Additionally, your @gmail address will show up as a new contact in their address book the first time you reply to an email from your @gmail.com address, just like any contact.

After Gmail first launched, Google changed the name of its webmail service in the United Kingdom and Germany to "Google Mail" due to legal disputes around the use of the Gmail trademark. Those conflicts have been terminated, so we are changing the name back to Gmail, and offering @gmail.com addresses to all Google Mail. Plus, it's shorter and easier to type this way.

Known issues with changing your address

Android:

Application name: For now, if you use the Google Mail app on your Android device, your app will still be called Google Mail. In the coming months, we plan to release an renamed, updated Gmail app.

Account name in sync settings: Users need to delete the Google-account from their mobile device and add it again. The removal and adding of the sync is not sufficient for the account name to change.

Google Talk: If you use an Android device and change your address, the Google Talk app might not connect properly, but other Google applications should work fine. To fix Google Talk, you'll need to wait one day after switching your address to @gmail.com and then turn airplane mode on and then back off. After you've done this, Google Talk should work again. Note that you'll appear in Google Talk as your @gmail.com address to everyone else, even though it still shows as your @googlemail.com address on your device.

Offline Gmail: If you have Offline Gmail enabled and change your address, you will need to re-sync your account to use Offline again.

Multiple sign-in: If you use multiple sign-in to sign into multiple accounts at once, you may find that your @googlemail.com address is shown as a default option when you click your profile picture in the upper right corner. Simply sign out and sign back in to fix the problem.

Mailing Lists: If you have signed up to send mail to mailing lists on behalf of your @googlemail.com address, you might need to re-register for the group using your @gmail.com address. Google Groups will automatically accept your new address.

Non-Gmail chat contacts: If you use Gmail to chat with people who don't have a Google account and are using a third-party chat application other than AOL, you might need to re-invite these people to chat after you change your address.

Filters: If you've created filters that specifically use your @googlemail.com address, you'll need to edit your filters to use your @gmail.com address.

Signature: Your signature may disappear after you switch your address to @gmail.com. Create a new one that accurately uses your @gmail.com address instead of @googlemail.com, or if you need to recover your old signature, change back to @googlemail.com.

Chat in Google+: You may see an error that says, "Service unavailable - Error 503" in Google+ chat after switching. Fix the problem by signing out and signing back in.

Google Groups: If Google Groups asks you to confirm that you want to receive messages in your "new address", go ahead and confirm.

Switch in other languages: If your account isn't set to display German, the option to switch to Gmail will appear in English.

Incorrect display of Gmail or Google Mail: It will take a few days for Google Mail to change to Gmail in your account. This means that after you switch to an @gmail.com address, you may still see the product called Google Mail instead of Gmail. Or, if you decide to stay with an @googlemail.com address, you'll gradually see that the product is called Gmail anyway.

Switching doesn't work: If you try to change your address on the switching page and it doesn't take effect, please sign out and sign back in, then go to your settings and click "Switch to @gmail.com" again. We're also aware of an issue in which your address may not be immediately updated in the upper right corner of your Gmail page after you switch.

G+ Messenger: Users have reported that after the switch previous messages are not accessible and that they can't send/ receive messages. There is a bug filed for this, however, no solution in sight yet. For the majority of users the messenger works as intended after roughly three days.

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Vivian is a Gmail expert and the author of this help page. Leave her feedback about this help page.